Russia’s new manned spacecraft to land on Russian territory — source

A new system will ensure landing within a 5-km zone

MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/. Russia’s new generation manned spacecraft, returning from space flight will land on Russian territory, and not in Kazakhstan, as the Soyuz spaceship, a rocket and space industry source told TASS on Wednesday.

"Two landing areas - the Saratov and Orenburg regions, have been determined for the newest spacecraft that is developed by the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation," he said.

The spaceship will land in these areas if it is launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome currently under construction in Russia’s Far Eastern Amur region. There are no other launch sites for the spacecraft so far, he added.

The source said that the landing site will not require a large area, because a new system will ensure landing within a 5-km zone.

The new manned spacecraft is intended to replace the Soyuz series of spaceships, which are currently used. The spacecraft will be able to transport up to six crew members to a low Earth orbit or four - to the Moon. The spacecraft design work has been carried out since 2009.